by Olivia Burke
“Oh, right!” Aubrey clapped her hands together in excitement. “The whole reason I barged in. So you mentioned last night about your dad possibly coming into town for this media party, right?”
Tom shifted in his seat, eyes going to his plate. “Yeah.”
“And I have my sister’s wedding coming up,” Aubrey continued. “You should be my date.”
Tom’s head snapped up as he looked at her in confusion. “What? Why?”
“My date to the wedding,” Aubrey said, talking fast. “I know it’s a lot to ask, especially because my family is crazy, but I could use the backup and–”
“I mean, you know I’d go with you without any sort of bargain, right?” Tom asked.
“Well sure, but I kinda … need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.” Aubrey cringed.
Seth sputtered. “Why?”
“Because I cannot go to this thing alone,” Aubrey said, enunciating the word slowly so they got the point. She exchanged a knowing look with Natalie, who was suddenly very interested in her coffee.
“So, what’s the trade again, exactly?” Tom asked, furrowing a brow.
“You be my boyfriend for the next three weeks, just until my sister’s wedding. And I’ll be your super amazing, adorable girlfriend when your dad visits for the party so it’s not so weird for you the entire time. I mean, I have to be there anyway, we might as well make it interesting.”
Tom went quiet and Aubrey knew he was thinking it over. The silence around the table made her pause. Natalie and Seth exchanged a look Aubrey didn’t quite understand, but she waved them off, focusing only on Tom.
“It’s not a bad idea, right? You help me save face with my family, and I’ll ease the tension between you and your dad when he’s here. We both win.”
“Won’t you have to sell it to everyone, though?” Seth asked as he bit into a piece of bacon. “Like, even at LUSH, so it’s believable?”
Aubrey shrugged. “I mean, we don’t have to tell everyone, but if they found out, it’d just add to the story.”
“You guys can’t lie to all of them,” Natalie said, brown eyes going wide. “How will you even convince them?”
She waved the concerns off. “It’s only a few days, they’ll probably never even know.”
“Right, because if there’s one thing our staff is good at, it’s keeping their mouths shut when gossip is afoot,” Seth said, rolling his eyes. Natalie elbowed him, and he grimaced, leaning away from her to finish his bacon.
“I don’t know, Aubs, isn’t it kind of weird?” Tom asked.
“Just think it over, Tommy,” Aubrey pleaded. “That’s all I’m asking for right now: two nights of your life, one of which I’d have been in the same room anyhow.”
“All right,” Tom sighed. “I’ll think it over, but no promises.”
She clapped her hands together. “Yes, thank you, that’s all I ask.”
“For now,” Seth grumbled.
Aubrey shot him a look, not understanding why he was being so obstinate about the idea. Natalie mouthed an apology, but Aubrey threw her arms around Tom’s neck, causing him to drop the pancake-laden fork halfway to his mouth. It clattered to his plate, but she didn’t let go, planting a loud kiss on the side of his head.
Snatching up her last small bit of bacon, she stuck it in her mouth and quickly rinsed her empty plate in the sink before loading it into their dishwasher.
“Gotta go.”
“Already?” Natalie asked. “You just got here.”
“Maid of honor duties await,” Aubrey lamented. “My sister’s having a bridesmaids’ meeting over lunch in an hour, so I’m probably already late.”
Seth snorted. “You’re not full from breakfast?”
“More like I’m filling up on Tommy’s special pancakes before getting stuck with cucumber sandwiches,” Aubrey said, sticking a finger in her mouth for effect.
All three of them grimaced, making her laugh. She waved goodbye, pointing at Tommy before leaving the kitchen. “Think about it, Tommy. We could be good together!”
“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Seth asked Tom as soon as Aubrey left the house. “The fake boyfriend thing?”
Tom didn’t answer him right away, mulling over Aubrey’s trade. He didn’t want to find Aubrey’s fake dating offer so enticing, but he’d be lying to himself if he thought otherwise. A chance to spend quality time with her, pretending to be her boyfriend? Part of him even wondered if he might be able to show her how good they’d be together for real.
And even without that to consider, her proposal wasn’t out of the question. Having Aubrey by his side if his dad visited would relieve the tension; she was great with people, and would at least be able to distract them should his dad try to mess with Tom’s menu again. Aubrey would have his back, and know exactly when and how to step in to help.
“You’re not seriously considering her plan,” Seth said, eyes widening.
Tom shrugged, not looking at his roommate. “I don’t know, it’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s a terrible idea.”
“Why?”
Seth glanced to Natalie as if for help, but she drank her coffee instead, clearly not interfering. Seth gaped at Tom.
“Because you’re crazy about her? Because she’ll weirdly, accidentally lead you on and then you two can’t even be friends anymore?”
Tom ignored the way his stomach clenched at the thought of losing his friendship with Aubrey. “Seth, I could use the backup at this party.”
“She could be there for you as a friend and do the same thing.”
Tom shook his head. “No, not like that. Pop would figure out how to get rid of her, or ignore her. Believe me, he’s done it to a million bartenders and servers, which is all she’ll be if she isn’t with me. He’ll be forced to interact with her and that takes his attention off me. She’s the perfect kind of distraction to keep things from getting weird.”
“I don’t know, man,” Seth said, clearly doubtful.
Natalie leaned in, putting a hand on Seth’s arm. “If Tommy wants to do this, maybe Aubrey will realize he’s a total catch.”
Seth snorted. “And they’ll get a happily ever after thanks to fake dating? You’re watching too many rom-coms, babe.”
“Seth’s right.” Tom sighed, sitting back in his chair. “She’ll never like me in that way, Nat.”
“Which is why I have concerns over you getting hurt, buddy. Aren’t you worried you’re setting yourself up for disappointment?” Seth asked.
“We only have to pretend for a few weeks,” Tom said. He chuckled. “Besides, imagine the look on my dad’s face when he meets her.”
“Right, so you’re doing this all to impress your dad.” Seth raised an eyebrow at him, skeptical.
“And to help her out with her family,” Tom argued. “Why else would I?”
“Uh, because you’re basically in love with her, and she has no idea? Don’t you think this plan could blow up in your face when you two fake break up?”
Tom shrugged, not looking at either of him as he answered. “I mean, I’ll know it’s coming; neither of us can get hurt if we know it’s gonna end, right?”
“Seems like a recipe for disaster is all I’m saying,” Seth said, putting his hands palm up. “But it’s your call.”
“I think it’s very sweet you’re even considering it,” Natalie told Tom, ignoring Seth’s huff. “Aubrey’s been worried about this wedding for months. Her family is tough on her.”
“How so?” Seth asked.
Natalie shifted in her chair, tucking a dark curl behind her ear. “She comes from a family of academics. She says that they think she’s ‘just’ a bartender.”
Seth scowled, while Tommy’s stomach tightened in anger.
“Aubrey is the best mixologist in Crystal Springs,” Tom fumed. “And besides, what does it matter what she does as long as she’s happy?”
The corners of Natalie’s mouth quirked. “I agre
e. In any case, if she has to head into that wedding chaos, at least she won’t be alone.”
That only made him want to go through with the idea more; Aubrey was his friend, and she deserved to be proud of herself every moment of the day, especially around her family. He’d never known her not to be confident; it was hard to imagine her timid and unsure around her family.
Seth sighed, pushing his chair from the table to get up and rinse his empty plate. “Do whatever you want, man,” he said over his shoulder, “but use a little caution if you feel like things are going south.”
Tom made sure his best friend could see him shrug. “What could go wrong?”
“Famous last words,” Seth muttered into the sink.
* * *
Later that evening, Tom saw Aubrey was back, sitting on her front porch swing. Before he could lose his nerve, he crossed the street to her house, waving a tentative hello. She urged him up the steps.
“Hey, Tommy.”
“I’ll do it,” Tom told her.
Aubrey whooped, leaping off her swing and into his arms with an enormous hug. Tom certainly didn’t mind; in fact, he was rather looking forward to more of those. She pulled away, brushing strands of hair out of her face.
“What do we do first?” he asked her.
“I’ll let my sister know you’re my plus one,” she said, putting a finger to her chin in thought. “And I guess next time you talk to your dad, let him know I’ll be joining you.”
“Daniel already knows about the event, so I only need to talk to him about my shift on Saturday night for your sister’s wedding.”
“Shouldn’t be hard, you probably have like a thousand hours built up for vacation time.”
“How’d you know?”
Aubrey smirked. “You’re always working, Tommy. This’ll be good for you, if only to get a night off.”
“Now that I think about it, I’m not sure I’ve ever taken a vacation day,” Tom said, the fact making him grimace.
“Then it’s settled,” Aubrey said. “You get a Saturday night off, and a brief break. I promise you won’t regret it.”
“Famous last words,” Tom shot back, making her laugh.
The words settled heavy in his ears, and for a brief second, he wondered if Seth’s warning would come back to haunt him.
It was taking Aubrey way too long to make a simple phone call to her sister. She’d been holed up in her room for the last half hour, alternating between pacing and throwing herself across her bed. She currently stood next to her black guitar, debating on whether to clean up her room.
“Now I know I need to rip the band-aid off,” Aubrey told her reflection. “Just call her, tell her, and hang up.”
Aubrey had thought she had a good idea, but now that she actually had to kickstart the thing, she wasn’t sure if she could do it. This wasn’t just about telling people she and Tommy were dating; they’d have to sell it.
Sitting on her bed, she glanced at the mirror over the dresser again. Shaking a finger at herself, she forced herself to make the call.
“Hello?”
Aubrey made sure to inject plenty of enthusiasm into her tone. “Hi, Chloe, it’s your favorite sister!”
“Har har,” Chloe said. Aubrey could almost see her eye roll over the phone. “That joke never gets old, sis. I’ve got a million things to do today, what’s up?”
“I called to give you the name of my date,” Aubrey said.
“Oh yeah? Who’s the lucky guy this week?”
“It’s Tommy Flanagan.”
There was a pause on the other end. “Thomas Flanagan? As in the head chef at LUSH?”
“The one and only.”
“How’d you hook him?”
Aubrey’s back stiffened and she stifled her irritation. “Well, it is where I work, it makes sense, right?”
“Sure,” Chloe replied slowly. “I’m just surprised, is all. He’s not someone I’d guess to be your type.”
“Why not?”
“Well, I’ve seen his picture for one. He’s adorable, really, but not at all like the bad boys you usually go for.”
“He’s sweet, and so talented,” Aubrey said, having no trouble telling the truth. She always swore up and down that Tommy was the sweetest guy in the world. Maybe too sweet.
“And I heard he’s won ‘Favorite Local’ this year. That’s huge for his resume.”
Aubrey’s jaw clenched. Of course she’d be excited about that. She hadn’t even told her mom or sister about the award she’d won, knowing they’d just put their noses up at her career yet again. They didn’t care that she loved her job, or how good she was at it, so why bother sharing the good news just for their sourness to ruin it?
“How long have you been dating?” She could swear there was suspicion in Chloe’s voice.
“Uh,” Aubrey replied, thinking fast. “A couple months, maybe a bit longer.”
“So you two are serious?”
“Yeah, I think so. We’ve been trying to keep it under wraps at work, you know? So we thought the wedding would be the perfect way to announce it.”
“Oh, sure, my wedding day is the perfect time to announce your new relationship,” Chloe shot back. “Yes, please let’s make it all about you, Aubrey.”
Aubrey bit back a growl of frustration, instead flopping backwards to her pillow. “That’s not what I meant Chlo, I’m sorry.”
Chloe heaved a dramatic sigh across the line. “Fine, well, of course Chef Flanagan is welcome at the wedding. I only hope he approves of the caterer.”
“Well, you picked the caterer, so I’m sure he’ll approve,” Aubrey said, pinching the bridge of her nose.
The flattery placated her sister, though. “True. Okay, I have to run, but I’m sure we’ll all be excited to meet Tom at the family dinner next week.”
“What, no,” Aubrey said, her internal alarm bells ringing. “He’s only able to make it for the wedding on Saturday. He’s just so busy–”
“Absolutely not. He’s your boyfriend, of course he has to be in on the family festivities,” Chloe trilled. “There’s no backing out now.”
“Nope, apparently not.” Aubrey sighed. “Okay, Chlo. I’ll talk to him, see what he can do with his schedule.”
“A celebrity chef at our wedding, how fun! Oh, and fair warning, Mum and Dad invited a few people from the university to family dinner. It could get boring.”
Aubrey could almost hear her sister’s eye roll and snickered. “Well, if you think that, now I’m doubly glad to bring Tom for the distraction.”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay, gotta go, Aubs. See you soon.”
“Bye,” Aubrey said, but her sister had already hung up.
Aubrey turned over, pressing her face into her pillow. She willed herself not to scream, kicking her feet into her bed instead in a mini-tantrum.
“A celebrity chef,” she repeated angrily. “As if he’s in some dog and pony show at her wedding.”
Aubrey had thought calling her sister would be the worst part of this, but she was wrong. Telling Tom he had to spend even more time with her family was officially worse.
Aubrey and Tom had a standing weekly date – well, not date, but was it a date now that they were fake dating? – every Wednesday morning where they went to the local farmers market a few blocks away. It was usually small, but Tom always found several little treasures and plenty of items to try out either in his own kitchen or at LUSH, which tried to source as many ingredients as possible from nearby farms.
Tom met Aubrey on the sidewalk. “Did you remember your bags?”
Aubrey was notorious for getting halfway down there and realizing she was empty-handed, but today she waved her tote bag at him. “Yep, but thanks for the reminder.”
They walked together in companionable silence, occasionally remarking on the flowers in a neighbor’s yard or a cat snoozing in the early morning sun on a porch. They walked side by side, his arm tingling any time Aubrey’s skin brushed against his. Arriving at the farme
rs market, they waved at a few friends they knew here and there as they walked into the little parking lot full of vendors. Tom nodded at a couple of other chefs who’d come across town to shop for their menus.
“It’s so great to have a farmers market in the neighborhood,” Aubrey said, waving at a vendor. “I know I say that every week, but I never get tired of it.”
“I know what you mean.” Tom scoured the layout, noting which booths carried certain ingredients. “I love everything about a farmers market.”
“Why’s that?”
“My dad and I would go any time he was off on a Saturday morning, or when we visited other cities for his consultations. It was sort of the only time we spent together, when he wasn’t working in a kitchen, I mean. He taught me the importance of locally sourced food, of how proud I can be when I bring it to life on a plate. I’ve never forgotten that.” He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward about spilling his guts like this to her. “Anytime I go to a farmers market, it makes me feel that all over again. I know that probably sounds a little weird–”
“No,” Aubrey cut him off, pausing their slow pace to make him look at her. “No, it’s not weird at all; it makes perfect sense. I think that’s really special.”
Her smile nearly took his breath away, and he smiled shyly back at her. “Thanks.”
They began walking again, and Aubrey picked up an item from the table next to them. “What’s this?”
Tom lit up at the quiz. “That’s a pawpaw!”
Aubrey burst out laughing. “What? You just made that up.”
“No, really! It’s kind of tropical, tastes like mangoes and bananas. They’re only in season for a couple months in the fall. They’re delicious, but I haven’t used them in a recipe yet. Let’s get some and you can try one.”
“And you can conduct your mad science experiments?”
He tossed a pawpaw up in the air and caught it, winking at her. “Exactly.”
They spent the next half hour browsing the vendors, gathering ingredients here and there. She’d quiz him, even about a few he was sure she knew, letting him share his knowledge on food.